Cigar smoking among teenagers--United States, Massachusetts, and New York, 1996.

Cigar smoking can cause cancers of the oral cavity, larynx, esophagus, and lung and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In addition, cigars contain substantial levels of nicotine, an addictive drug. Despite these health risks, total cigar consumption in the United States was approximately 4.5 billion cigars in 1996, and consumption of larger cigars increased by 44.5% from 1993 through 1996 (from 2,138 million cigars to 3,090 million cigars, respectively. This report presents estimates of the prevalence of cigar smoking among youth based on analyses of data from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's (RWJF) 1996 National Study of Tobacco Price Sensitivity, Behavior, and Attitudes Among Teenagers and Young Adults; a 1996 survey by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) of high school and junior high school students; and the Roswell Park Cancer Institute's 1996 Survey of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Use in two New York counties. The analyses indicate that, during the year before being surveyed, 26.7% of U.S. and 28.1% of Massachusetts high school students reported having smoked at least one cigar and that 13%-15% of ninth grade students in two New York counties reported having smoked cigars during the previous 30 days.